What is the ruling regarding the Zakat al-Fitr (Fidya) for a wife whose husband is unable to pay it?
Chapter on Zakat al-Fitr
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
If the husband is unable to pay the Zakat al-Fitr for his wife, the obligation falls upon the wife herself. If the wife is a slave, the obligation falls upon her master. This is because the responsibility reverts to the individual when there is no provider, similar to maintenance (Nafaqa). There is no specific evidence cited in the text detailing the basis for this primary ruling.
Supporting text
It is argued that no obligation falls upon the wife because the primary person upon whom the obligation became due (the husband) was unable to fulfill it due to indigence. Therefore, the obligation should not transfer to another person, just as the Zakat al-Fitr for oneself does not transfer if one is unable to pay. This situation differs from maintenance (Nafaqa), which is considered more essential, obligatory even upon the indigent, and the debtor is reimbursed for it upon becoming wealthy, which is not the case for Zakat al-Fitr.